STREETKIDS & DEKTHAI

The STREETKIDS! (STK) Programme is a 24/7 rehabilitation shelter for children between the ages of 6 to 21 who come from high risk and substance abuse backgrounds. RADION’s STREETKIDS! programme provides rehabilitative care and primary, secondary and vocational education for 43 children and has rescued 9 children from high-risk family backgrounds. RADION has also conducted need assessments and interviews for more than 100 children and quarterly educational outings for about 50 children per run.

These children have either come from abused backgrounds, or are involved in vice activities such as glue sniffing, theft and street gangs. Over time, these children-at-risk become outcast from their own society, facing rejection from family, school and neighbours.

These children-at-risk are categorised in the following manner:

Children who are addicted to drugs or have had a history of abuse

Children who come from familial backgrounds of vice or have dysfunctional families

The rehabilitation program is a simple but effective one, allowing the child to acquire new skills, learn to undertake responsibilities and become disciplined in an environment of love and acceptance. RADION also imparts values by letting these children know that they have a hope and freedom to choose to turn over a new leaf.

In addition, the STREETKIDS! are encouraged to join RADION’s staff in the village outreaches, modelling what it means to care for others and look beyond personal interests.

DEKTHAI Programme (Early Intervention & Education Programme)

In marginalized communities, children that drop out of school before the age of 15 form the majority. Without adequate education or job-skills, they end up working in the fields, taking on odd-jobs, getting married prematurely or falling prey to vices such as gang activity and substance abuse. As they grow older, they remain trapped in a vicious poverty cycle and end up raising their families in similar circumstances where they struggle to make ends meet.

The DEKThai Project takes child development one step further, by addressing community needs that ensnare underprivileged children and youth. Weekend tuition classes offer an educational space for children to complete their homework and study, under the guidance and support of our program tutors. These classes seek to preserve each child’s interest in his or her education, encouraging them to stay in school.

Life-skills training sessions provide a platform for children to learn practical knowledge outside the classroom that will bring value to their lives in the future. They range from basic income-generating skills, such as mushroom farming, to technical proficiencies like IT, art and languages. Such equipping workshops help level the playing field for underprivileged children to be more self-sufficient outside of school.

Moreover, DEKThai doubles up as a preventive platform against domestic violence and child neglect. In the event that these vices do occur, community leaders are empowered to screen out these cases and intervene appropriately

Mass Outings:

Mass excursions are organized every quarter of the year where we take 60-100 village children from vulnerable families out of the village for educational exposure. Each excursion allows the team to build rapport with the children as well as provide a platform to identifying at-risk children and bring them into our STREETKIDS! program.

Sponsorship Scheme:

Sponsoring a child enables the child to receive care and a safe environment to grow. Each sponsorship amount provides all that a child needs at each particular stage of his/her life. This amount typically covers school fees, uniforms, transportation, medical care, allowance and most importantly, a safe shelter.